I'm Down To One Last Breath
by solara107
Summary: She would not admit it, but she had had a crush on him ever since the end of their fourth year at Hogwarts. . . ‘Don’t be stupid,’ she thought to herself as she sat down in an empty compartment, ‘he will never think of you as more than a friend.’ Complete
1. Prologue

I came up with the idea for this fan fiction when I was listening to "One Last Breath," "My Sacrifice." All of those songs are by Creed, one of my favorite bands. Lyrics for those songs are below. The title for this story is a line from "One Last Breath." I hope you like it!

One Last Breath

Please come now I think I'm falling

I'm holding on to all I think is safe

It seems I found the road to nowhere

And I'm trying to escape

I yelled back when I heard thunder

But I'm down to one last breath

And with it let me say

Let me say

Hold me now

I'm six feet form the edge

And I'm thinking

That maybe six feet

Ain't so far down

I'm looking down now that's over

Reflecting on all my mistakes

I thought I found the road to somewhere

Somewhere in his grace

I cried out heaven save me

But I'm down to one last breath

And with it let me say

Let me say

Hold me now

I'm six feet form the edge

And I'm thinking

That maybe six feet

Ain't so far down

Sad eyes follow me

But I still believe there's

Something left for me

So please come stay with me

'Cause I still believe

There's something left for you and me

For you and me

For you and me

Hold me now

I'm six feet from the edge

And I'm thinking

My Sacrifice

Hello my friend we meet again

It's been a while where should we begin … feels like forever

Within my heart are memories

Of perfect love that you gave me

I remember

When you are with me

I'm free … I'm careless … I believe

Above all the others we'll fly

This brings tears to my eyes

My sacrifice

We've seen our share of ups and downs

Oh how quickly life can turn around in an instant

It feels so good to reunite

Within yourself and within your mind

Let's find peace there

When you are with me

I'm free … I'm careless … I believe

Above all the others we'll fly

This brings tears to my eyes

My sacrifice

I just what to say hello again

I'm Down To One Last Breath

Prologue

Monday September 1st, 1997 10:25am

Hermione Jane Granger's Point of View

So much had happened to Hermione over the summer that even she lost track of it all. She was now boarding the train for what would be her 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was made Head Girl this year, a dream of hers since she was a first year, and wondered who the Head Boy was. She was hoping that it was Harry Potter, her best friend since she was eleven. She would not admit it, but she had had a crush on him ever since the end of their fourth year at Hogwarts. She often wondered what he felt toward her; perhaps he was in love with her as she was in love with him?

'Don't be stupid,' she thought to herself as she sat down in an empty compartment, 'he will never think of you as more than a friend.'

Little did she know, but a certain raven-haired friend of hers would turn her world upside down, and change her forever.

Monday September 1st, 1997 10:30am

Harry James Potter's Point of View

Harry was thinking of how he was finally free from Voldemort's constant attacks on those he loved the most, including Hermione. Voldemort tried to kill him so he could take over the school, resulting in the Final Battle between him and the Dark Lord. Harry had won, but like in every battle, a few people had died. Most of the people who had died were Death Eaters, but a few Order members had died as well. What no one accepted was that Voldemort had a son, who took his place as soon as he heard his father was dead. Harry was now in his 7th year at Hogwarts, and this year's Head Boy. He was now thinking of her, the love of his life, and most likely Head Girl this year, Hermione Jane Granger. He had no idea this year would be his hardest year yet, not because of Voldemort or his son, but for a certain brunette friend who would shape the rest of his life and him as a person.


	2. Chapter One: The Confessions of Hermione

I'm Down To One Last Breath

Chapter One: The Confessions of Hermione Granger

Harry found Hermione sitting in the Head's compartment staring out the window, crying her eyes out.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked, walking over to her.

She looked over to see Harry sitting next to her on the seat. The look in his eyes was one she would never forget. It was a look of concern, worry, but most of all, love.

'Don't be stupid, he sees you as a friend, nothing more." Hermione thought to herself.

"Harry, if I tell you, you will hate me forever." Hermione told him, lying against his warm body.

"Try me." Harry told her.

"Fine, you asked for it. I suppose I should start at the beginning. It all started when I was about four." she started.

"Four! You must have been holding it in for over ten years!" Harry cut in.

"Harry, if I'm going to tell you, can you please not interrupt?" Hermione asked.

"Sorry."

"It was a little after my fourth birthday. I was playing with my dad's wand and blew up the kitchen. That was the first time I ever got punished."

"You dad is a wizard? What do you mean by 'punished'?"

"My dad is a half blood, my mom is a pureblood. Later on in the story, you will find out why I lied about it. That day was the first time he ever beat me."

After this, there was silence for about ten minutes, until Hermione spoke again.

"After that, he continued to beat me every time I did something wrong. Then, when I was five, I met Hadria. She was my babysitter until I started Hogwarts, she was as an older sister to me, still is. She found out about what dad did to me, and tried everything in her power to stop it. Nothing worked, so she introduced me to something that would help me not care when he beat me. The Morte Tossica is a cult; it thrives in the wizarding world. There motto is what first drew me in, _La Vita Dei Morti Causa Più Dolore Che Della Vita_. It means _The Life of the Dead Men Cause More Pain That of the Life_, roughly translated from Italian to English. Morte Tossica itself means dead women toxic in Italian. Hadria took me to my first meeting when I was six. I loved it that was the first time I ever felt alive, that day was the first time I ever as if I belonged. I kept going with Hadria until I started Hogwarts." Hermione continued.

"Why did you stop going if you liked it so much? Can you tell me what happened in those meetings anyways?" Harry asked, prompting her to continue.

"I had to stop going during the school year because I couldn't leave Hogwarts grounds, I did go during the summer though. As for your second question, the Morte Tossica teaches all its members the ancient arts. The ancient arts are fighting styles and such; I am one of the best, partly because I have been training for almost 11 years. I can't tell you much more than that without breaking an oath I made at the beginning of the summer." She explained.

"Oh, continue please." he said.

"Well, nothing happened really until I was 10; my paternal grandmother came to live with my parents and me. She was worse than my father was, much worse. One day I tripped on her dog, Poodles, and she beat me. I thought that was it, but she did things even worse. Then after about an hour, and the loss of one arm, three toes, one hand, and a leg, she tried to kill me. I saw this candlestick, grabbed it off the table, and beat her over the head until the candlestick was covered in blood. My mother lied to my father about what happened that day. I believe she told him that his mother tripped when she was walking down the stairs, broke her neck and cracked her head open. Then I came to Hogwarts and you know what happened. Mom asked me to lie about everything, so I did. My mom's maiden name was Christina Gaspar; her family is one of the most highly respected wizarding families in Europe. They make the Malfoys look like church mice. My father's family is almost as well respected as my mothers, almost as rich as well. My dad was a death eater, he tried to pull information from me for years, but he never got anything. The summer before fourth year, was when Mother was killed, Father killed her. That summer was also the first time I had to fight for my life; he ordered one of our house elves, Twinkle, to kill me. Every summer since then I have had to fight for my life. This past summer he got tired of me escaping his attempts to get rid of me, so he tried to kill me himself. I won, and he died. That must have been two weeks into the summer holidays, because a week after I killed him I became the second highest ranking member of the Morte Tossica."

There was silence in the compartment for a while, Harry trying to process everything Hermione just told him, and then Hermione spoke again.

"Something is happening within the Morte Consiglio. The Morte Consiglio, which means death council in Italian, is a group, consisting of the top ten members of the Morte Tossica that runs it. I found out, about two weeks ago, who Voldemort's son is. Marcus, who is the head of the Morte Consiglio, is his thirty five year old son. He was my mentor, teacher when I first started. He is the only member who has more power that me. Anyway, he tried to add the members of the Morte Tossica to his army, but I would not let him. Since I would not let him, I had to challenge him for his spot on the Morte Consiglio. So, in about a year from now, I have to fight him." Hermione explained.

"So? You will win Hermione. If you are as good at the ancient arts as you sound, you won't have a problem beating him." Harry told her, trying to comfort her.

"Harry, you don't understand. When a member challenges the head of the Morte Consiglio for his spot on the council, it is always a fight to the death, as opposed to usually happens when two other members fight each other. That and the fact I have to kill another family member to be able to live."

"What are you talking about?" Harry said, asking about the last sentence that came out of her mouth.

"Marcus is my fifty second cousin eighteen times removed, through my mother's side of the family."

"You are the Heiress of Slytherin! You were related to Voldemort this whole time!" Harry stated, in shock about the whole situation.

"Yes. I never told you or anyone about all this for that reason alone. I was scared you would all hate me for being related to someone I have always hated. I made a mistake in thinking Marcus was different from his father. I am scared Harry, scared that I might not win against Marcus. I am scared that, because I told you the truth, you hate me. I hope that you can forgive me and understand why I lied to you for all these years," she confessed to him.

"Hermione, I do understand and I don't hate you, I'm just surprised." Harry told her, looking into her eyes.

It was just at that moment when the compartment door opened to reveal someone much unexpected.

Here is Chapter 1, hope you like it! This fan fiction is dark and disturbing, but this still a somewhat romantic story. Your author, Ava.


	3. Chapter Two: Don’t Judge A Book by Its C

I'm Down To One Last Breath

Chapter Two: Don't Judge A Book by Its Cover

_It was just at that moment when the compartment door opened to reveal someone much unexpected._

Luna Lovegood opened the compartment door to find Harry and Hermione in a very compromising position. The tears in her eyes and look of shock on his face showed her all she needed to know.

"It's about time you told him the truth Hydra." She said as she sat down across from them.

"Wait a minute, you knew about this the entire time!" Harry asked her, jumping up out of the seat

"Of course I knew; Papa and I are both members of the Morte Consiglio. I follow Hydra in ranking and Papa is fifth." She told him in a casual tone.

"Who else is a member that I know? Why are you calling her Hydra for?"

"Harry, it's my real name. My full name is Hydra Jayne Gaspar, partly because Mother had it put into her marriage contract that any girls born during their marriage would be given her maiden name, and the fact that only female family members with the name Gaspar can inherit anything from my mother's family." Hermione told him.

"Oh. Can I get my first question answered then?" Harry asked, feeling incredibly stupid.

"I, Luna, Mr. Lovegood, Ginny, Ernie, Mrs. Malfoy, Draco, and Susan are all members of the Morte Tossica. Luna, Mr. Lovegood, Draco, Susan, and I are members of the Morte Consiglio. Luna is third in raking, Mr. Lovegood is fifth, Draco is seventh, and Susan is ninth."

"Malfoy is a member of the Morte Consiglio, how did that happen?"

"Mrs. Malfoy did not want Draco to be helpless when his father got angry, so she thought that the Morte Tossica could help. Draco has been a member since he was six. When Marcus tried to add the Morte Tossica to his army, all five of us tried to stop him. Draco is not as bad as you think, neither is Mrs. Malfoy, they just made bad choices." Luna explained, entering the conversation.

"How did Susan get pulled into this?" Harry asked.

"She got in the same way Hydra did, Hadria was her childhood babysitter. Susan's aunt knows about it and has even shown an interest in the Morte Tossica." Luna answered again.

It was just then that Susan Bones walked into the compartment and sat down next to Luna.

"I see that Hydra has come clean, it is about time to, and I was starting to think she never would." Susan stated.

"So, who else will be joining us?" Harry asked, knowingly changing the subject for Hermione.

"I believe that Draco, Ginny, Ernie, and Neville should be here any minute." Luna answered.

"Does Neville know about all this?" Harry asked.

"Yes, his grandmother is a member as well. The entire name calling and fighting has been an act the entire time." Susan told him.

There was silence in the compartment for about five minutes until the door opened again, but this time Draco Malfoy walked into the compartment.

This chapter is kind of a background story, hope you do not mind. Next chapter: Draco and Harry confront each other.


	4. Epilogue

I'm Down To One Last Breath

Epilogue

Last Time:

"_I believe that Draco, Ginny, Ernie, and Neville should be here any minute." Luna answered._

"_Does Neville know about all this?" Harry asked._

"_Yes, his grandmother is a member as well. The entire name calling and fighting has been an act the entire time." Susan told him._

_There was silence in the compartment for about five minutes until the door opened again, but this time Draco Malfoy walked into the compartment._

Draco and Harry looked at each other for a few moments until Draco spoke.

"I know you have no reason to trust me, but I want a truce between us since Hydra has finally told you the truth." Draco said as he held out his hand.

Harry looked at him for a moment or two then looked over to Hermione.

"I suppose we can call a truce." Harry answered as he shook Draco's hand.

Harry remembered that day clearly. Time had sped up on them and sooner than everyone wanted, the Absolute Battle as it was to be called fell upon them.

Marcus was standing outside the castle, waiting for Hermione to meet him for a duel which would end one of their lives. Over the past year, he and Hermione had become closer than ever, the engagement ring on her finger was proof of that. Hermione was shaking from nerves.

"You will be fine, you are going to defeat him, and you will come back to me." Harry told her and kissed her one the cheek.

Hermione thanked him and walked out to face Marcus. They had an intense battle. Marcus took a chance and slammed his sword into Hermione's stomach. She stood still, and a few moments later, she started to heal, to everyone's surprise. Taking advantage of Marcus's surprise, she took her sword and sliced his head off. They later found out that she had survived because she was two months pregnant with twin girls and they healed her from the phoenix tears that Harry had been healed by in his second year. The tears had stayed in his blood and been passed to the twin inside of Hermione.

He remembered their wedding a few weeks later. Fred and George had pulled every prank they had and proposed to their girlfriends. Ron had proposed to Luna three months later. Neville and Ginny were also happy together. Susan and Ernie also ended up together in the end. Even Remus had found someone, he and Tonks were very happy and were married a month after he was.

Harry looked back on the past five years and then looked over to his wife, son, and twin daughters. He was sure that whatever else life would throw at them; they would overcome it in the end.

Thank you to anyone who reviewed. I took some stuff out of the Prologue.

I was going to make this longer, but I was having trouble with how it was going to go. I hope that Stephani and star900 are still reading this.


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